Japan; anniversary; nuclear crisis

Last March, the world watched closely as Japan struggled
to contain a series of equipment failures, hydrogen explosions and releases of
radioactive materials at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

The historic tsunami following the 9.0-magnitude
earthquake destroyed the reactors’ connection to the power grid, causing them
to overheat. Hundreds of people were exposed to increased levels of radiation.
Thousands more were evacuated. Although Japanese officials have since declared
the plant stable, the cleanup will be expensive and is expected to take
decades.